CALIFORNIAN: Onstage musical honors iconic 'Oz' movie

Finding someone who has never seen the classic movie musical
"The Wizard of Oz" seems nearly impossible.

Based on the L. Frank Baum children's novel "The Wonderful
Wizrard of Oz," published in 1900, the movie that launched Judy
Garland into the stratosphere of super-stardom, surely has become
one of the most cherished of all motion pictures.

Several stage adaptations of the story about a young Kansas
girl's adventures beyond the rainbow and quest to find her

home have surfaced over the years, before and after the 1939
release of the popular movie. However, the productions that
received the most favorable reviews from theater audiences were
those that more closely mirrored the film.

People know the movie "The Wizard of Oz," and they know it well.
So when they go see a stage version, they have expectations. If you
are one of those people who cherish "Oz" and love live theater,
prepare to relive a treasured childhood

memory.

Produced by Theatre Royale, "The Wizard of Oz" will be performed
live onstage Friday through Aug. 2 at Lakeside High School's Rotary
Performing Arts Center in Lake Elsinore.

Theatre Royale, the multiple award-winning troupe responsible
for theatrical productions, including "Les Miserables," understands
the profound love people feel for "The Wizard of Oz."

Actor Coley McAvoy (appearing in the adult cast as the Tin Man)
shared his insightful thoughts and opinions about the show,
produced, directed, and designed by Scott King.

"King's production values are always amazing," McAvoy said. "He
really strives for authenticity. And his goal from the beginning of
this project has been to put the movie, exactly as we remember it,
right onstage."

From the moment audience members enter the theater McAvoy said
they'll find it easy to agree with how well this production
reflects the movie.

"All our set pieces, including the farm, Munchkin Land, and
Emerald City, look very much like those in the film," McAvoy said.
"And my Tin Man costume is no exception. It's made out of real
metal. I mean, I originally expected just silver leotards."

Avalon Penrose (Dorothy from the youth cast), an eighth grader
at Margarita Middle School, mentioned, "Even though our show is
very much like the movie, we do have some added dance sequences.
One of them is featured during the scene when the flying monkeys
attack Dorothy and her friends. That scene is so much fun."

"There's a dance in the poppy field, too," said Linfield
Christian School junior Joy Lakey (Glinda the Good Witch, youth
cast). "And near the end of the first act, Glinda sings a song
that's not in the movie."

When discussion shifted into nostalgic territory, the younger
members of the cast were rather tongue-tied. One has to be over the
age of about 30 or so to identify with the annual telecast of "The
Wizard of Oz."

Believe it or not, there was life before cable, video and DVD,
the internet, and TiVo. Prior to the invasion of those inventions,
commercial television and movie theaters were it.